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Subject:
From:
Ken Follet <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
BULLAMANKA-PINHEADS The historic preservation free range.
Date:
Sun, 23 Nov 1997 10:36:29 -0500
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---------------------
Forwarded message:
From:   [log in to unmask] (4 - Araoz)
Sender: [log in to unmask]
Reply-to:       [log in to unmask]
To:     [log in to unmask] (Stephen Kelley), [log in to unmask]
Date: 97-11-17 07:10:56 EST

Facadism! The topic I love most to hate.  In Washington we had a major
epidemic in the 80s that only came to a halt because of a slow down in the
construction market.  But that only happened after many building skins were
treated in a variety of ways.  I trace this particular phenomenon to the 19th

century practice in the U.S of moving buildings from site to site, which
meant
that integrity of location was never too high in our agenda.  Then, there is
our endemic practice of replacing in facsimile,  whgich is a negation of the
possibility of losing historic fabric - if we lose it, we replace it and no
one will know the difference.
When Pennsylvania was being upgraded to match the ceremonial majesty that the

powers that be felt it should have, many of the old and humbler buildings
that
documented a past that we would rather obliterate were marked for demolition.

After bitter discussions at all levels, many of the buildings were determined

to be eligible to the National Register, and following more discussions, it
was decided that acceptable mitigation would include facadism or dismantling,

crating and reassembling elsewhere.  At present we have all the
manifestations:  the Evening Star only survived as a facade, the old 2-story

Kresge's has been topped out to the maximum FAR with about ten more floors
(Grahan Gunn) in brick atop the original glazed terra-cotta facade; Mc Kim
Mead $ White's Munsey was simply documented according to HABS standards and
razed.  The Willard Hotel was gutted in the interior, and on its west side
was
expanded, receiving a new facade to accommodate larger rooms.  On the swuare
bounded by 10 and 11 and penn and E, several facades were saved and engaged
in
a massive superblock by Hartman & Cox.  Several other buildings - about eight

of them were dismantled and crated, waiting for re-erection along Indiana
avenue to create (sic) a denser historic district.  Fortunately this last
part
never happened since the land was too valuable and it was ultimately
redeveloped with new construction that allowed the higher density that the
relocated strcutures would allow.  In the end, pieces of the facades were
reconstituted in a free-form manner and applied to the blank wall of an
existing PEPCO substation on 8th Street.

The Pennsylvania avenue fever spread through Washington like wildfire:  the
Army-Navy Club, the building where Burberry's (Conn & M) is now located, the
infamous Lion's Row at GW University, I and 20th) portions of the building
that now houses the Spanish Chancery (24th and Penn), and the other facades
engulfed in the mexican chancery (Penn and 19th), the absolute horror at F
and
18th, and the row at 21st and N, where the great concession was to save 10
feet opf building instead of just the facade - at the time a triumph.

What was most amazing about this at the time is that many of these projects
won AIA awards under both the design and the historic preservation
categories.
 This reflects the general ignorance of the architectural community in
matters
concerning preservation.

A good weapon would be to lobby actively against the designation of any of
these structures as historic buildings or landmarks.  They should be rejected

from all registers at the local, state and national levels.  No tax benefits
under the NHPA should be approved, and the action should be actively
denounced
as unacceptable by the preservation community.

I agree that it is best to let buildings die a dignified death than to
subject
them to mummification and other travesties that erase all traces of their
historicity.  Id reconstruction is a viable alternative, of what use, then,
are all our efforts to conserve the originals in situ?

Wish I had more encouraging words, but the fact is that the practice has now
spread world-wide.

Gustavo Araoz
----------
From:  [log in to unmask] on behalf of Stephen Kelley
Sent:  Friday, November 14, 1997 3:36 PM
To:  [log in to unmask]
Subject:  beyond facadectomy



I am sending the following enquiry as a representatve of the Landmarks
Preswravtion Council of Illinois (LPCI).

We are facing a possible preservation issue with one of our
skyscrapers in Chicago.  The city is allowing the total dismantlement of a
17 story building and reconstruction of the front facade in a new
building on the same site.  The language of the ordinance is vague and
is being interpreted that it is not mandatory to save the original fabric of
the facade.  If the fabric is damaged during removal, it can be replaced
with new fabric.  In effect the building can be demolished and a new
facade with new materials can be created  with some ornamental
detailing incorporated.

As the ordinance reads, " The reconstruction shall be carried out in a
manner that substantially replicates the existing significant facades, bas
reliefs, and the roofline.  If the facade and bas relies can not feasibly be
retained completely intact, the portions not retained shall be replicated
and incorporated into the new construction."  The new building will then
become an official City of Chicago Landmark.

We are concerned that the outcome will be a facade recreation  will
then have a historic plaque applied.  We believe that this is
unprecedented.  Are you aware of any precedents or similar examples?
 Can you offer any sound technical advice?

Please respond to
Steve Kelley
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